From what I've learned about plants so far is that to have them outside all of the time you have to have a few things:
- A plant that isn't more sensitive from being in cultivation
- Where you live has to have conditions that are pretty close to what it's like where they live naturally
- You have to give them time to get used to being outside.
My venus flytraps have been outside since this past spring, but I live somewhere that's relatively close to where they live in the wild. Plus they're pretty hardy plants compared to many orchids. A lot of orchids couldn't handle the conditions here, especially when it pushes above 100 degrees Fahrenheit in summer.
That being said, I think to some extent we baby plants just a little too much. Sure, some are
very particular about what conditions they grow in, but some have a good amount of wiggle room as to what they can work with.
One orchid that's relevant is Neofinetia falcata. They've been grown for several hundreds of years in conditions from borderline freezing to smoldering hot, and in homes that were not at all like homes today. As long as they get the right humidity (minimum 40%), aren't in ridiculously bright light, aren't getting constantly attacked by pests, aren't soaking wet all year around and aren't being frozen in winter or burned by summer heat, they'll survive. It may not always be optimal, but they can probably manage with conditions that aren't exactly one-to-one with the Ryukyu Islands in Japan.
This obviously changes when you're trying to give optimal conditions to maximize growth, flowering and such. Which, obviously, who doesn't want to do that?
Hybrid Mode
